Why do people spend the money for roof prisms when similar power and size binos in the porrosare 1/3 the price? Is it just a size issue, or is the quality different? I understand the roofs cost more to make, so why do they sell?

You might benefit from soing a search or two on this forum. This topic has been discussed in some length. With porros it is easier to achieve top notch optical quality. However, porros are bigger and harder to waterproof. Nevertheless, IMO, quality porros provide a better view than any roof binocular (especially considering depth of perception).

You might benefit from soing a search or two on this forum. This topic has been discussed in some length.

Sorry, had a brain fart. Found some good info from last year. Answered the questions. Now, to be specific, I have seen some 12x40 Predators (porro) for less than $250 around the net. However, SWFA doesn't list this model as of current. Did they stop making them? Is there some drawback to them, or do they just not sell as well as the others? I'm looking for a set for spotting deer and groundhogs across fields on the farm. Waterfroofing and size isn't really an issue. Perhaps, the more heft will help keep them more stable. Nor do they have to be super-duper rugged. If they are as good as the $800 roofs, strictly optically speaking, then they seem ideal for what I need. Please, correct me if I'm confused. Thanks.

Now for the 12x40 Predators. Before I go into the advantages and disadvantages of this particular binocular. What kind of a binocular are you looking for? What is most important to you? Field of view, clarity, brightness, resolution, etc.

Hunting around home, I do a lot more looking than walking. I live in farm country where there is 100 acres of field to every 10 acres of woods. I usually set up on edgelines of woods and watch the neighborhood. I'm not worried about weight or size, because I'll never walk more than 1 mile in a day. I'm not climbing mountains going after sheep. I just want a good pair of binos for hunting deer and groundhogs on farms. I like what I've heard about the predator's green coatings/filters. I can scan 5 different patches of woods from my parents back porch. I want good glass to check them out. If I'm planning on hunting all day from a stand, I'd take them with me. If I plan to still hunt, I'll leave them at the house and carry a pair of compacts. I also hunt groundhogs by driving up to the farms and glassing the fields and fence rows. I've always used a spotting scope for this and for scanning for deer from my folks back porch, and it can certainly be a hassle. I want binos to do this. If the predators will help see the deer in the woods, then . As far as what is most important to me, the green coating/filter sounds great if it works like people say. Second most important would probably be clarity, then resolution. Follow that by brightness, then FOV. Durability isn't a big concern. Nor is waterproofing. Thanks for the help.

The coatings on the Predator binoculars work as advertised. The downside of that is that the color rendition is not accurate. Purely for hunting it is not big deal, but for general observation it is not the best way to go. It is a personal choice though.

I am not sure if going with a 12x40 model is all that great of an idea. It is difficult to hold them steadily enough and the exit pupil is somewhat small which makes a big difference when the lighting is not optimal. A magnification that high also makes the field of view narrower and depth perception not as good. If you really need glass objects very far away, you should get one of the larger binoculars (58-60mm objective lenses mounted on a tripod, something along the lines of astronomy binoculars). Otherwise, most people go with either 8x or 10x binocular. 10x is pretty much the limit of what most people can hold steadily enough. Personally, I prefer 7x or 8x, but a 10x might work better for you. Even with 10x you might consider a bigger objectives of around 50mm.

As far as optical quality goes, Predators are pretty good. However, their biggest selling point would be the coatings. They do have a pretty wide field of view for a 12x glass though. The decision basically is as follows: how important are those coatings to you? If they very important than you can go ahead and get the Predators 12x40. Just make sure you do not use them in low light since the exit pupil is pretty small. If you can live without the coating and go for a more neutral color rendition, then there are other porros in your price range that have better optics and better low light performance: Swift Audubon 8.5x44, Nikon Action Extreme series, Pentax PCF WP series and some others.

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